Bristol Seafood’s Portland, Maine-based processing facility will receive nearly USD 5 million (EUR 4.04 million) in enhancements over the next three years courtesy of an investment greenlit by the company in partnership with the Maine Technology Institute.
The investment was made possible in part through a grant of over USD 740,000 (EUR 599,252) from the Maine Technology Asset Fund, with Bristol funding the remaining balance, the company said in a press release. Over 40 new jobs will be created as the processing facility undergoes a series of upgrades via the investment. When the process is complete, Bristol expects its facility “to provide critical and necessary infrastructure to the Portland Fish Pier.”
“We are proud to partner with MTI. Through this grant and our substantial investment, we will bring seafood products made to our uncompromising Maine standards to more consumers, create quality jobs for Mainers, and bring new processing technologies and capabilities to the local waterfront,” said Bristol’s President and CEO Peter Handy.
Portland officials anticipate that the investment will continue to fortify the city’s waterfront for years to come.
“For nearly three decades, Bristol Seafood has been an anchor of the seafood industry on the Portland Fish Pier. With this investment, we look forward to the next thirty years,” said Bill Needelman, Waterfront Coordinator for the City of Portland.
Founded in 1992, Bristol Seafood specializes in the sale of its select core species, including scallops, long-line caught Norwegian haddock, Alaskan cod, and wild Maine mussels. The company became the first to earn a Fair Trade certification for seafood harvested in U.S. waters in 2017, and was named “Business of the Year” by the City of Portland, Maine last year as well.
